William h



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

W. H. KAUFFMAN & W. P MERGER.

'PANTS STRETGHER AND GARMENT SUPPORTER.

No. 387,518. Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

W1 TJVESSES N. PETERS, yhalwmhc n m, Washhgion. D4 (2.

(N0 Model) 2 Sfieets-Shet 2.

W. H. KAUFFMAN & W. P. MERGER.

PANTS STRETGHER AND GARMENT SUPPORT-ER.

No. 38?;518. Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

William ]'[fa %fm60z m ZZiamF Me?" Ger:

% WITNESSES, IJVV'EJV'TOR,

N. PETERS. Phuw-Litho npher, wnhingwn. D C.

llnrrn STATES Fnrnsr WILLIAM H. KAUFFMAN AND XVILLIAM F. MERCER, OFCOLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO THOMAS WV. XVRIGHT, OF SAMEPLACE.

PANTS-STRETCHER AND GARMENT-=SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,518, dated August'7, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. KAUFF- MAN and VILLIAM'F. MERoER,citizens of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in thecounty of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Pants-Stretchers and Garment-Supporters; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which [5 form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in combined stocking and drawersupport and pants-former; and it consistsin the novel construction andarrangement of certain devices for service, which will be more fullyhereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a combined device for holdingthe lower portion of the pants down and in proper shape and allow thesame to relax when desired by the wearer, and to support the stockings0r drawers by means which are easily handled and readily understood. Weattain this object by the construction illustrated in the ac- 0companying drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate similarparts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a foot and a portion of a leg with the stocking thereon 3 5 and withour improvement applied in connection therewith, the pants being shownin dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the upper portion ofthe device on the line a reef Fig. 1.

A indicates a strap, which is provided with a buckle, a, for adjustingthe same, and also with metallic slides a, to which depending metallicarms Bare secured and which are formed with loop-slides b at the upperand lower ends 5 thereof, the lower loop-slide carrying a buckle, b, towhich one end of an elastic strap, 0, is attached. An elongated metallicstrip, D, is supported by and has movement in the loops 7) of the armsB, and carries a loop, d, at its upper end, through which the elasticstrap 0 passes and is secured at its upper end to the inner side of thestrap A. The lower end of the metallic strip D has a safety'pin, D,secured thereto, the pocket of which is arranged to the front, so as torender it easy of access in operation. The natural tendency of the stripD is to hold the pants down at the bottom; but when the wearer raiseshis limb the elastic strap 0 yields and allows the pants to rise. Itwill. be understood that the safety-pins are secured in the bottom ofthe pants for a wellknown purpose.

To the upper loops Z) of the arms B a semicircular metallic band, E, issecured at each end, and is provided with adjustable loops 6. This bandE stands out from the front of the limb and has a front central slide,6, to which a vertically-arranged slide-plate, E, is secured, in which adepending arm, F, is adj ustably mounted and formed with a lower curvedend, the said arm being adapted to keep the front of the pants in properposition, and is adj ustable vertically in the slide-plate E.

To the front central portion of the strap A a metallic arm, G, issecured at its lower end and projects upward therefrom. The upper end ofthis arm is provided with a clasp, G, which engages with the stocking ordrawers audtends to keep the same in an adj usted position.

Our improvement is adjustable at all points and can be regulated to fitany size of limb and width of pants-bottom.

The improvement as above set forth preserves the shape of the pants atthe bottom, and is readily attached and detached when desired.

The many purposes for which our improved device may be employed areobvious, and it is apparent that slight changes can be readily made inthe construction herein shown and de scribed without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is 1. Thecombination of the adjustable strap to surround the ankle or limb andhaving slides thereon, the metallic arms 18, having loops formedtherewith and carrying buckles at their lower ends, the elastic strip 0,and the metallic strips D,carrying safety-pins at their lower ends,substantially as described.

2. The combination of the adjustable strap A, having a buckle and slidesthereon, the arms 1:), the elastic strips 0, the metallic strips D,carrying safety-pins at their lower ends, the semicircular band E,having a front central slide, and the depending arm F, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the band A, haw ing the attachments, as setforth, of the upwardlyprojecting arm G, having a clasp, G, on the upperend thereof for engagement with and to support the stockings or drawers,substantially as described.

4-. The combination of the adjustable strap A, having slides thereon,the arms 13, secured to the slides on the strap A and having upper andlower loops and lower buckles, the clastic straps (l, secured at one endto the buckles on the lower ends of the arms B and at their upper endsto the strap A, the metallic arms I), having safety-pins on their lowerends and loops at their upper ends, through which the elastic strap 0passes, the semicircular band E, secured at its two ends to the upperloops of the arms 13 and provided with suitable adjusting-slides and acentral vertical slide-plate, E, secured thereto, thedependiug arm F,supported and adjustable in the slideplate E, and theupwardly-projecting stoekingsup porting arm G, having a clasp on itsupper end, secured to the band or strap A, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the ankle-strap, of the two adjustabledepending devices secured to each side thereof and adapted to beattachedto the bottom of the pantaloons, the front semicircular band standingout from the anklestrap, and the depending adjustable arm having a lowerbend carried in the front central portion of the said hand,substantiallyas described.

6. The combination, with the adjustable ankle-strap, of the twoadjustable depending devices attached to the sides thereof and adaptedto be secured at their lower ends to the bottom of the pantaloon, thefront central support, and the stocking-supporter, substantially asdescribed.

7. The ankle-strap carrying side and front pantaloons adjusting devices,and the up wardl y projecting stocking supporter, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination, with the ankle-strap, of the side devices supporteddirectly thereagainst, and the front central depending arm supportedsome distance away from the said ankle-strap, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatu res in presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAM H. KAUFFMA N. XVILLIAM F. MERGER. Witnesses:

FRANK GILMORE,

ll. Evans.

